Primary election balloting for Democratic and Republican nominations for seats in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives that are up for grabs this year will take place on Tuesday, May 17, when voting polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

All of the positions are for two-year terms.

The legislative district boundaries, some of which have been changed following the 2020 Census, were finalized earlier this year when the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania entered a unanimous (7-0) order on March 16 finding “that the Final Reapportionment Plan of the Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission filed on Feb. 4, 2022, is in compliance with the mandates of the Pennsylvania Constitution and the U.S. Constitution and is not contrary to law, and, therefore, shall have the force of law.”

The court also “ordered that said plan shall be used in all forthcoming elections to the General Assembly until the next constitutionally mandated reapportionment shall be approved.”

The result of the high court’s order, and the filing of nominating petitions in Carbon, Schuylkill, Lehigh, Northampton and Monroe counties affects voters in eight different legislative districts in the Times News reading area.

Here is what the redistricting of Pennsylvania House seats means locally:

122nd District

The district now includes all of Carbon County and represents 64,866 residents.

Previously, Summit Hill Borough had been removed from the district.

Rep. Doyle Heffley of Lower Towamensing Township is seeking re-election and is unopposed on the GOP ticket. Also running unchallenged is Democrat Richard Kost of Palmerton. The two will meet head-to-head in November.

176th District

The district includes part of Monroe County, consisting of the townships of Chestnuthill, Eldred, Hamilton, Jackson, Polk, Ross, Tobyhanna and Tunkhannock, and represents 62,863 residents.

Rep. Jack Rader, a Republican from Jackson Township is seeking re-election and will face Democrat Hope Christman of Chestnuthill Township in November, as both candidates have no opposition within their respective parties.

124th District

The district includes part of Berks County, including the townships of Albany, Greenwich, Maxatawny, Tilden, Upper Bern, Upper Tulpehocken and Windsor and the Boroughs of Hamburg, Kutztown and Lenhartsville, and Part of Schuylkill County, consisting of the townships of Delano, East Brunswick, Rush, Ryan, Schuylkill, South Manheim, Walker, West Brunswick and West Penn and the boroughs of Auburn, Coaldale, Deer Lake, Landingville, New Ringgold, Orwigsburg, Port Clinton and Tamaqua.

There are 64,846 residents in the district.

Rep. Jerry Knowles of Tamaqua has represented the district prior to its realignment but he is not seeking re-election.

The candidates are Republicans Jamie Barton of East Brunswick Township, Elle Rulavage of Windsor Township and Jill Saunders of Hamburg.

The winner of that three-person GOP runoff will face Democrat Tina Burns of Tamaqua. She is unopposed on the party’s ticket.

183rd District

The district includes part of Lehigh County, consisting of the townships of Lowhill and North Whitehall and the Borough of Slatington, and parts of Northampton County, consisting of the townships of Allen, East Allen, Lehigh and Moore (part, Beersville and Klecknersville districts) and the boroughs of Bath, North Catasauqua, Northampton and Walnutport, and represents 66,148 residents.

Rep. Zach Mako, a Republican, is seeking re-election and appears to be positioned to return to Harrisburg as he is unopposed on both the GOP ballot and the Democratic slate.

187th District

The district includes parts of Lehigh County, consisting of the townships of Heidelberg, Lower Macungie, Lynn, Upper Macungie (part, districts 3, 7 and 8), Washington and Weisenberg and the boroughs of Alburtis and Macungie, and represents 66,296 residents.

Rep. Gary Day, a Republican from Heidelberg Township, is seeking re-election and is challenged by Ryan E. Mackenzie of Lower Macungie. There is no Democratic candidate.

Other districts

Meanwhile, there are two other legislative districts that border the Times News coverage area.

They are:

116th District

The district includes part of Luzerne County, consisting of the City of Hazleton, the Township of Hazle and the Borough of West Hazleton and parts of Schuylkill County, consisting of the townships of East Union, Kline, Mahanoy, North Union and Union and the boroughs of Mahanoy City, McAdoo, Ringtown and Shenandoah, and represents 63,945 residents.

There is no incumbent in this race as former Rep. Tarah Toohill was elected to the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas and resigned that post. In a special election, Robert Schnee won a runoff to fill the remainder of Toohill’s term this year, but he does not reside in the new 116th district and is therefore not a candidate for the post.

There is a six-candidate race for the GOP nomination, including Dyllan Angelo-Ogurkis, John Chura, Gary Perna, Mike Larocca, Nico R. Makuta and Dane Watro. The winner of that contest will face Democrat Yesenia Rodriguez, who is running unopposed on the party’s ballot. Perna, Makuta and Watro are Schuylkill County residents while Angelo-Ogurkis, Chura, Larocca and Rodriguez all reside in Luzerne County.

123rd District

The district includes parts of Schuylkill County, consisting of the City of Pottsville, the townships of Blythe, Branch, Butler, Cass, East Norwegian, New Castle, North Manheim, Norwegian, Wayne and West Mahanoy and the boroughs of Ashland (Schuylkill County portion), Cressona, Frackville, Gilberton, Girardville, Gordon, Mechanicsville, Middleport, Minersville, Mount Carbon, New Philadelphia, Palo Alto, Port Carbon, Schuylkill Haven and St. Clair. There are 65,886 residents in the district.

Rep. Tim Twardzik, a Republican from Butler Township, is seeking re-election and is unopposed on the GOP ballot. He will face Democrat Kathy Laughlin Benyak of Pottsville, who is the lone candidate on the Democratic side.